The rise in sexually transmitted diseases in Nueces County mirrors a national trend.

"People just don't think they can get them or people think they can't get them a certain way," said Dr. Kim T. Onufrak, community public health physician for the Corpus Christi-Nueces County Public Health District.

The number of people infected with chlamydia, gonorrhea and types of syphilis has steadily increased since 2009 and could be at an all-time high this year, Onufrak said.

In five years, the numbers for all three diseases have climbed more than 10 percent, with the number of syphilis cases nearly doubling.

Nueces County ranks in the top 10 and top 20 Texas counties with the highest number of cases of the most common STIs: chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis.

In 2017, there were 43 new HIV cases in the county. In the first six months of 2018, the number of new cases is 23.

The solutions are simple — get tested once a year, wear protection during every sexual encounter and know how you can get infected.

It's rising and here's why

Dating cellphone apps have proliferated regular dating life.

Tinder, Grindr, Bumble, Hinge and OKCupid are the top dating apps, according to a quick Google search.

According to Tinder, there are 1.6 billion "swipes" right or left on the app per day, which contributes to 1 million dates per week worldwide.

(Photo: Tinder)

Earlier this year, Grindr (an app that serves the LGBTQIA community), launched an opt-in HIV testing reminder to help users get tested more regularly.

"The feature also follows the CDC-recommended guidelines for testing frequency among some sexually active gay and bisexual men and trans people," according to a news release. "The update is notable because it makes an immediate and significant impact on the health of a number of individuals as Grindr has users in every country in the world and 3.6 million users who log in daily."

Onufrak said people are getting more adventurous in dating, which has led to being reckless with their sexual health.

"Besides (chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis), there has been an increased rise in throat cancers being caused by (Human papillomavirus infection or HPV), and herpes 1 and 2," Onufrak said. "Before it was mostly cervical cancer in women, and now because of the rate of oral sex, we also have seen it in the throat."

Chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis can also be contracted in the throat and rectum, she said.

More diseases, fewer babies

In May, the CDC released a report that said the U.S. birth rate is the lowest in 30 years with just under 4 million babies born last year.

Many reasons factor into this, including increases in education, people delaying marriage and having children, and an uneasiness in the economy.

But the increasing prevalence of STIs is directly contributing to the country's lower birth rate, Onufrak said.

Vermont saw its lowest number of births, again, in 2016. Vermont mothers gave birth to 1,000 fewer babies than 20 years ago.(Photo: SEAN GALLUP/GETTY IMAGES)

"When you have a sexually transmitted infection, if you don’t get it treated than you can have infertility or ectopic pregnancies because it scars your reproductive system," she said. "There is an increase in stillbirths in infants that are born with congenital syphilis happening here locally."

The infertility mostly affects women because of their reproductive systems, but also because symptoms of STIs and other infections are not as obvious in women.

Local numbers

In the top 25 Texas counties, Nueces ranks high for the most common STIs: chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis.

Microscope image made available by the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows chlamydia trachomatis bacteria magnified 200 times. The number of cases of STDs - in California reached a record high in 2017, and officials are particularly concerned by a spike in stillbirths due to congenital syphilis, state health authorities said.(Photo: Dr. E. Arum, via AP)

CHLAMYDIA

According to statistics from 2016 provided by the health district, Nueces is ranked 11th among Texas counties with 2,587 people diagnosed.

In Corpus Christi alone, there were 2,339 chlamydia cases, which ranked it eighth highest among Texas cities in 2016.

There was a 19 percent increase in chlamydia cases in 2017 from the previous year at one Corpus Christi health clinic, according to the Women's and Men's Health Services.

The breakdown of men and women showed that 559 women were infected compared to 262 men at that particular clinic.

For the first six months of 2018, 428 cases have been diagnosed at that clinic.

GONORRHEA

In 2016, Nueces also ranked 11th in the state in gonorrhea cases with 586, according the health district.

All but 40 of those cases were in Corpus Christi.

According to Women's and Men's Health Services, there were 164 gonorrhea cases in 2017 at the Dillon Lane location, a 24 percent increase from the year before.

Female-to-male ratio shows that 86 women had the disease, while 78 men were diagnosed at the Dillon Lane location.

For the first six months of 2018, there have been 107 positive gonorrhea cases at the health clinic.

SYPHILIS

Nueces County is ranked seventh for primary and secondary syphilis cases at 43, according to 2016 statistics. Thirty-three of those cases were in Corpus Christi.

For total (or full-blown) syphilis, the county ranked 13th with 109 cases that year.

More recent numbers show that there were 33 cases in 2017.

There already have been 40 positive syphilis (primary, secondary and total) cases this year documented by Women's and Men's Health Services.

Blood sample positive with syphilis(Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The projection for chlamydia and gonorrhea tests conducted in 2018 will be nearly 10,000 at the health service's clinics. The clinic estimates there will be nearly 1,000 syphilis tests conducted this year, a 41 percent increase from 2017.

Local resources

Everyone under the age of 25 should get tested once a year. If you're a sexually active person, in a monogamous relationship or not, you should get tested at least once a year.

Testing and treatment for chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis is $20 at the health district. Testing for herpes is $30, which includes education and counseling. The district is at 1702 Horne Road in Corpus Christi.